Electric battery



Nov 1l, 1930. w. E; HOLLAND ELECTRIC BATTERY 2 sheets-sheet VJ.

Filed Feb. lo

il, VM HQLLAN@ ELECTRIC BATTERY Filed Feb. l0, 1925 Patented Nov. 11, 1930 PATENT OFFICE 'WALTER E. HOLLAND, OF PHILADELPHIA, DELPHIA STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY,

CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIRV TO PHILA- ELECTRIC BATTERY Application led February 10, 1,925. Serial No. 8,204.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved form of battery in which the plates or elements of opposite polarity are sus ended within the jar or container.

nother object of the invention is to provide a staggered plate assembly whereby the vertical edges of the plates of opposite polarity are thrown out of line, thereby reducing to a minimum the chanceifor loosened 1 active material to bridge or tree across the vertical edges of the separators and partially short circuit the plates. f

A further object of the invention is to provide a plate assembly which permits mounting a charge indicator at the edge of certain plates without increasing the normal size or changing the regular shape of the jar or container.

Still another object of the invention is to provide minal post and cover which with a novel jar formation make an improved form of suspension for the elements and provide means for tightly sealing the cell to prevent escape p of acid by creepage at the post.

The invention further contemplates the provision of an improved plate assembly whereby the equivalent of very thick plates is obtained by using double plates of normal thickness; and the use therewith of similar p single plates at the two ends of the element,

thus balancing the plate capacity exactly throughout the elements without resort to the usual special thin outside plates.

Construction by means of which these and j other objects are obtained is illustrated in also showing one end of a plate strap an the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a battery made in accordance with my invention, one ofthe plate straps and the adjacent part of the cover member being shown in elevation; *y l l Fig. 2 is a transverse section ron the line 22, Fig. lf;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3, Fig. 1, -adj acent portion of the cover member in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4, Fig. 1, and v a novel form, of plate strap, ter.

.adapted for Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the upper portion of a cell illustrating a modiicatlon within the scope of the invention.

With reference to the drawings and -more partlcularly to Figs. 1 to-4, inclusive, my

lattery may comprise the usual glass or other container or jar 1, the jar in the present instance comprising two separate chambers for the respective battery cells.v Since the construction of the individual cells are identical, the present description will be confined to but one.

As shown in Fig. 2, I may provide my container along two opposite sides and near the top thereof with inner upturned shoulders 2 which function to support a cover member 3 and positive and negative battery elements, as hereinafter described. The cover member 3 which may be of Amolded hard rubber, I may form with depending side and end flanges 4 and 5, the bottoms of the end anges resting as shown in Fig. 2 upon the shoulders 2 and the member 3 thereby being suported in the top of the container. s illusltrated, the top of the cover member may be approximately on a level with the top edge of the jar, although the exact position is not material.

The positive and negative plates are susended in each instance from a plate strap 6 which extends substantially the length of the cell, see Fig. 3, and which is provided in each instance with a longitudinal side recess 7 the reception of a horizontal extension or led e 8 extending outwardly from the bottoms o the side flanges 4 of the cover member 3, as shown in Fig. 1. In this manner, the elements interlock with the cover member forming a joint suiiiciently tight to keep sealing compound from running into the cell. The straps 6 are also in each instance provided with. a laterally extending longitudinal flange 9 opposite the said recess 7, which flange extends substantially to the side walls of the container, also as shown in Fig.

d 1. The' flange 9 also is extended around the ends of the straps, and since the under face of the flanges is in the same horizontal plane as the under face of the cover member 3, the end iianges ofthe straps project over and rest 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A

upon the shoulder 2 of the jar 1, the plates being thereby securely suspended at a distance above the bottom of the jar. Between the side Walls of the container and the side flanges 4 of the cover member 3, there'is formed, completely around the latter, a channel for reception of a sealing compound '10, the straps 6 forming the bottoms of the channels along the sides of the container. The elements of opposite polarity also comprise upwardly extending posts 1l which project at the top above the sealing compound 10, in which they are embedded, to form the terminal posts of the battery. Between the end flanges 5 ofthe cover and the upper side Walls o f the container, there is also formed a channel, which is a continuation ofthe previously described 1channel at the sides, andA thisv channel also receives the sealing compound 10, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby a complete seal is formed between the said cover element and the sides of the container.

By reference to Fig. 2,-it will be noted that the outside negative plates slant slightly to conform to the slant of theinnerwalls of the glass container and that the outer separators and positive plates lie parallel to these outside negative plates. i This arrangement has the advantage that the active material ofthe plates is kept from bl1ster1ng` outer negative and breaking away `from the body of the plate by the proximity to it of the jar wall at allvpoints andthat acid space is provided between each pair of positive plates. By means of the aforedescribed construction, the elements of opposite polarity, com- Y prising the plates fr, are suspended'in the container from the cover and at a desired distance above the' bottom of the container, and the separators or plate insulators 12 and 13 are preferably suiliciently long to extend completely tothe bottom as well as a certain distance above the tops of the plates to the under side of the straps 6. Also, owing to the fact that the plates are staggered or oil'set so that the vertical edge at the side where the plate joins the strap is in close proximity to the jar Wall,'a plate cannot be thrown out of line appreciably by on its overhanging main portion. y

Also as well shown in Fig. 4, the plates are so proportioned and arranged that'in each case one edge stops an appreciable distance short of the wall of the container toward which it extends, while the said insulators 12 and 13 are preferably suiiicientlywide to extend practically ,the full width of the container. In thismanner, the vertical edges of plates otopposite polarity are arranged in staggered relation, andthe minimum distance between the vertical edges of the plates of opposite polarity is preventing loosened active material from or treeing across the edges ot the .the cover member the actionv of gravityh seal.

increased, thus eectivelv b separators and partially short-circuiting the plates.

This staggered arrangement of the elements also provides between the outer edges of certain of said plates and the wall of the container a recess for installing a device for indicating the state of charge of the battery. Such a device I have illustrated in Figs. l, 3 and fl, and may consist for example of a cage 14 so formed as to fit in the space between the edges of the plates and the adjacent wall ofthe container or jar and between the two immediately adjacent plate insulators or spacers. This cage 14 has in the present instance a laterally projecting lug or flange 15 at the top which extends over the top of the plates as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The cage is adapted to hold for limited vertical movement one or more balls 16 of predetermined density and ofmaterial insoluble in the electrolyte. It is apparent that by the staggeredarrangement of the plates hereinbefore described, I am able to employ an indicator of this type Without increasing the normalsizeor changing the regular shape ofthe jar.

It will further be noted that instead of using, as ordinarily, interior single plates of yextra thickness with special thin outside plates, the interior plates are made up of pairs of separate plates of normal thickness, the outside plates being also of normal thickness, but single, and I thus balance the plate capacities exactly throughout each ofthe cells without resortin to the special outside plates. In Fig, have illustrated a modication of the aforedescribed construction in which the terminal posts extend through the cover member 17, that part of the said member through which the posts extend being made of extra thickness, and the posts being molded i into these parts .of extra thickness whereby becomes in effect a permanent part of the elements of opposite polarity. The arrangement has the double advantage of 'forming a superior seal positively preventing escape of acid by creepage at the post and also providing for the post a iirm foundatlon enabling it to withstand considerable strain at the exposed end without danger of becoming loose and destroying the able for that type ot terminal post which comprises a spring clip or binding post for retaining the connecting' wires. @wing to the strains imposed when connecting or disconnectlng wires, such terminals require more rigid support than is given by the ordinary sealing compound.

I claim:

L A battery cell comprising a container having ledges; a non-conducting cover inemer supported upon said ledges in the top of said container; and plate groups of opposite polarity interlocked with the edges of said which may be utilized This construction is particularly valumember and suspended therefrom in the container from the led es.

2. A batterycel comprising a container having internal shoulders at the top; a cover member supported on said shoulders and having at the lower edges thereoftransversely projecting ianges which at the opposite sides of the container are spaced apart from the side walls of the latter; plates of opposite polarity ;.straps connecting the plates of the same polarity to ether, each of said straps resting at its en s upon raid shoulders and having in the side thereof a longitudinal recess into which the opposite langes of the cover member are'adapted to t to form an interlocking connection between the cover and the plate elements7 and said straps when interlocked with the cover member lling the space between the anges of the latter and the side walls of the container; a sealing compound sealing the joint between the cover and the sides of the container and overlying the straps; and a terminal element attached to each ofsaid straps and projecting upwardly throu h the said sealing compound.

3. A attery. cell comprising a container having interior shoulders in at least one pair of opposite sides, positive and negative plate groups including straps the extremities of which are supported on said shoulders and from which the plates are suspended, each of said straps having connection with the plates of its rop adjacent one vertical edge of the indivi ual plates, with all of the plates substantially uniformly positioned with respect to the strap, the length ofthe plates in the transverse direction being less than the corresponding dimension of the container, and said straps being positioned in the container so that the Vertical edges of the plates of the respective groups adjacent to the straps lie closely adjacent the opposite side walls of the container, and a cover member also supported on'said shoulders intermediate the said straps andinterlocked with the latter along the contiguous edges.

4. A battery cell comprising a container having' shoulders on the inner surface of at least two opposite walls thereof; a non-conducting cover member adapted to rest upon said shoulders; plate groups of opposite polarity; straps connecting the plates of each group and adapted at each end to overlie and rest upon said container shoulders; interlocking means vupon the cover member and said straps, said straps being of sufficient width to substantially fill the space between the sides of said cover member with which they interlock and the adjacent wall of the container.

WALTER E. HOLLAND. 

